Rolex - The New York Watch Auction: EIGHT New York Saturday, June 10, 2023 | Phillips

Create your first list.

Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.

  • Manufacturer: Rolex
    Year: Circa 1990
    Reference No: 15203; inside caseback stamped 15000
    Movement No: 5’568’473
    Case No: E’103’318
    Model Name: Oyster Perpetual Date
    Material: Stainless steel, 18K yellow gold
    Calibre: Automatic, cal. 3135, 27 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel and 18K yellow gold Rolex Oyster bracelet, reference 78353-19, endlinks stamped 457B
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Rolex deployant clasp, reference 78353-18, stamped 06
    Dimensions: 34mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed.

  • Catalogue Essay

    The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date - not to be confused with the Oyster Perpetual Datejust - was introduced to the Rolex lineup in 1955, where it has remained ever since as the brand’s entry-level model with date complication. The first Oyster Perpetual Date, reference 6534, was in production from 1955 until 1960, when it was replaced by the reference 1500. From 1960 to 1976, the reference 1500 was treated to a similar array of case materials and dial variations as the more well-known Datejust with only one small difference: a two-millimeter reduction in size.

    The reference 15203 was first released in the 1980s and remained in production until the mid-2000’s. Offered by an important American collector, the present example from 1990 features a distinctive smooth bezel, a stainless steel waterproof Oyster case, and a striking blue dial. The extraordinary blue color perfectly contrasts with the 18K yellow gold bezel, providing for a subtly mesmerizing result. At 34mm, the Oyster Perpetual Date is still a versatile choice for any wrist size.

  • Artist Biography

    Rolex

    Swiss • 1905

    Founded in 1905 England by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis as Wilsdorf & Davis, it soon became known as the Rolex Watch Company in 1915, moving its headquarters to Geneva in 1919. Like no other company, the success of the wristwatch can be attributed to many of Rolex's innovations that made them one of the most respected and well-known of all luxury brands. These innovations include their famous "Oyster" case — the world's first water resistant and dustproof watch case, invented in 1926 — and their "Perpetual" — the first reliable self-winding movement for wristwatches launched in 1933. They would form the foundation for Rolex's Datejust and Day-Date, respectively introduced in 1945 and 1956, but also importantly for their sports watches, such as the Explorer, Submariner and GMT-Master launched in the mid-1950s.

    One of its most famous models is the Cosmograph Daytona. Launched in 1963, these chronographs are without any doubt amongst the most iconic and coveted of all collectible wristwatches. Other key collectible models include their most complicated vintage watches, including references 8171 and 6062 with triple calendar and moon phase, "Jean Claude Killy" triple date chronograph models and the Submariner, including early "big-crown" models and military-issued variants.

    View More Works

95

Lot offered with No Reserve

Ref. 15203; inside caseback stamped 15000
A mid-sized stainless steel and yellow gold wristwatch with date and bracelet

Circa 1990
34mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed.

Estimate
$2,000 - 4,000 
CHF1,800-3,600
€1,800-3,700
HK$15,600-31,300
S$2,700-5,400

Sold for $5,080

Contact Specialist

Paul Boutros
Head of Watches, Americas
+1 (212) 940-1293
WatchesNY@Phillips.com
 
Isabella Proia
Head of Sale, New York
+1 (212) 940 1285
iproia@phillips.com

The New York Watch Auction: EIGHT

New York Auction 10 - 11 June 2023